Project Roles & Responsibilities

Architect

Architects are responsible for the overall design of the project and ensuring it meets both your goals and local code requirements.
They often guide early planning, coordinate with engineers, and help prepare documents for permitting.

Typical responsibilities:

• Creating floor plans, elevations, and renderings
• Managing design development and revisions
• Coordinating with structural and civil engineers
• Preparing permit-ready drawings
• May help with contractor selection or bidding

Structural Engineer

If your project involves major structural changes, additions, or new construction, you’ll likely need a structural engineer. They ensure your design can be built safely and meets all structural codes.

Typical responsibilities:

• Calculating structural loads and materials
• Designing foundations, beams, and framing systems
• Providing stamped plans for permit approval
• Coordinating with the architect on layout changes

Civil Engineer / Site Engineer

These professionals are brought in when a project requires work related to the site itself: grading, drainage, retaining walls, driveways, or utility connections.

Typical responsibilities:

• Preparing grading and drainage plans
• Designing stormwater systems
• Managing soil retention and erosion control
• Working with the surveyor, architect, and permitting office

MEP Engineer (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing)

MEP engineers design the systems that make a building functional—heating and cooling, power, lighting, plumbing, and ventilation. Not every project will require dedicated MEP drawings, but more complex builds, new construction, or anything involving major upgrades to these systems likely will.

Typical responsibilities:

• Designing HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems
• Planning electrical layouts, panel sizes, and lighting circuits
• Designing plumbing systems for water supply, drainage, and gas lines
  Coordinating with the architect and other engineers to avoid conflicts
• Providing stamped MEP drawings for permit review (if required)

When they’re needed:

• New construction
  Projects with large mechanical systems or energy requirements
• Major remodels with full plumbing or electrical rework
• Commercial, multifamily, or mixed-use buildings

In residential remodels, contractors often handle MEP design informally, but bringing in an engineer can reduce risks, improve efficiency, and ensure your plans pass smoothly through permitting.

General Contractor (GC)

The GC oversees construction and manages all day-to-day operations on the job site. Some GCs get involved during preconstruction to provide input on pricing and feasibility.

Typical responsibilities:

• Hiring and managing subcontractors
• Scheduling the work and ordering materials
• Coordinating inspections and permits (in some cases)
• Maintaining safety and site management
• Communicating regularly with the owner

Subcontractors

Subcontractors are the trade specialists brought in by the GC. Most owners don’t work directly with subs unless they’re managing the project themselves.

Examples:

• Electricians
• Plumbers
  Framers
• Roofers
• Tile installers

Interior Designer

Not always needed, but helpful for larger remodels, custom homes, or projects where finishes are a high priority. Designers help with everything from materials and colors to furniture layouts. Oftentimes architects and contractors may be able to assist with some design selections.

Typical responsibilities:

• Selecting finishes, colors, fixtures, and furnishings
• Creating mood boards and material palettes
• Coordinating with architects and contractors
• Ensuring design intent is followed during construction

Consultants & Specialists

Depending on your location and scope, your project may need additional experts:

• Permit Expeditors – Help submit, manage, and troubleshoot permits
• Surveyors – Provide boundary, topographic, and construction surveys
• Soil Engineers – Conduct soil testing and compaction reports
• Energy Consultants – Provide Title 24 reports or blower door tests
• Arborists – Assess tree impacts or help meet city tree protection rules

Team Dynamics & Overlaps

Many of these roles overlap during the course of a project. For example:

• Your architect will coordinate with engineers and possibly your contractor during design.
• Your contractor may bring in their own engineer or ask for changes to drawings based on cost or logistics.
• A designer might work directly with subcontractors to verify how materials are installed.

It’s your job (or your project manager’s if you hire one) to make sure the team is aligned. Clear communication, documented decisions, and shared timelines go a long way in preventing confusion or rework.

What’s Next: Choosing How to Structure Your Project

Now that you have a clearer picture of the typical roles involved in a construction project, the next step is understanding how those roles come together.

There are a few different ways to structure a project team—some owners hire an architect and contractor separately, while others work with one combined design-build team. The choice you make will affect everything from communication to contracts, cost structure, and timeline.

Next up, we’ll walk through the two most common approaches:

• Design-Bid-Build – hire your designer first, then bid the plans out to contractors
• Design-Build – one team handles both the design and construction

Each has trade-offs, and knowing how they work will help you decide what fits your needs best.

Head to Design-Build vs. Design-Bid-Build to compare your options and choose the right structure for your project.